ABI Resources
This is an evolving list of useful resources for children, families and service providers. If there are links or services that we have not included, please send us an email at rehab.service@rch.org.au and we will add them to our list.
About brain injury
Growing up with an acquired brain injury (ABI): A guide for parents and carers. Written for parents by the Brain Foundation. It is easy to read and includes tips and strategies from other parents whose child has sustained a brain injury.
Changed lives: brain injury information kit This kit is designed for people who have a brain injury, and their family members
Step by step: A guide for families. When a child is admitted to hospital with a brain injury, there are many different people who become involved in their care. Families often ask questions about what is happening to their child and what impact the brain injury may have as their child recovers. This series of 5 booklets has been written to assist families during this time. They provide specific information about brain injury and its impact for the child. Each booklet deals with different issues and parents tips are provided throughout. It is a collaborative project made possible by staff from The Children's Hospital at Westmead and Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick.
Getting the best from your health care team This site contains information about who are the different members of the health care team, and provides useful tips about getting the information you need.
RCH Kids Health Info This is the Royal Children's Hospital website for medical information written for parents (and later for children too). Hopefully, fact sheets help you to better understand or care for your child with a health problem.
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The Rehabilitation Team have adapted information sheets from the Westmead Children's Hospital brain injury team. These provide specific information about behaviour, physical skills, daily living and schooling following brain injury. The following information sheets are currently available:
Acquired Brain Injury: General information
Communication
- Alternative and augmentative communication
- Aphasia after brain injury
- Articulation and phonological disorders
- Dysarthria
- Verbal dyspraxia
- Word finding difficulties
Cognitive (thinking) skills
- Attention and concentration
- Cognitive fatigue
- Flexible thinking skills
- Impulsivity
- Inapproriate behaviour
- Making and keeping friends
- Memory and new learning
- Monitoring and insight
- Planning and organisational skills
- Problem solving skills
- Reasoning and abstract thinking
- Speed of information processing
Medical Information
Motor Skills
- Dyspraxia
- Eyes and vision
- Fine motor skills
- Gross motor skills
- Physical activity for children with a disability
- Physical effects of injury
Self Care Skills
Support services
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SCOPE: Scope is a not-for-profit organisation providing disability services throughout Melbourne and Victoria to children and adults with physical and multiple disabilities.
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Yooralla: Yooralla helps Victorian children and adults who are born with disabilities, as well as those who have acquired disabilities through accident, ill health and age.
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Novita: Novita provide rehabilitation services to children in South Australia. This site has information regarding disability, service provision and research, as well as providing useful links to support services.
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Children and Disability Services - Melbourne City Mission: The state-wide ABI Paediatric Coordinators provide information, mentoring and support to anyone working with a child or young person with and acquired brain injury. They are available to provide training, mentoring support, to assist workers identify suitable services and to provide secondary consultation on individual cases.
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Brainlink: is a statewide service that is dedicated to improving the quality of life of people affected by conditions of the brain and providing support to their families.
Research
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CanChild: The CanChild Centre for Child Disability Research was established to do research addressing children and youth with disabilities and their families.
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Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI): The rehabilitation service at RCH is linked to the Critical Care & Neurosciences theme research group in MCRI. This group aims to improve the health and well being of children with serious medical conditions, and their families, through research into the origins of illness, cause and impact of disabilities, the treatments used and their long-term outcomes. It also addresses brain development and injury as well as diseases of the nervous system in order to advance diagnosis and treatment.